Architect-Engineer (A-E) Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) Design Support Services – Task Order Contracts

The County of Orange Public Works Department is issuing an RFQ to pre-qualify architect-engineer firms for mechanical and plumbing design support services on a task order basis, with qualifications due September 4, 2026, and questions due July 22, 2026. The resulting contracts will be three-year task order vehicles awarded to the Orange County Flood Control District as well as the County, with the County reserving the right to make multiple awards.

Respondents must hold valid professional licenses in California, demonstrate a minimum of three years of business operations in California with relevant experience in Southern California, and possess at least ten years of discipline-specific experience. References must include at least three from public sector entities comparable in size and scope to the County within the past five years. Firms must be capable of conducting business in Orange County. Respondents submitting exceptions to the County Model Contract will receive zero points on the compliance evaluation criterion.

Scope encompasses mechanical and plumbing design, building assessments, space planning, code compliance review, cost estimating, project administration, construction administration, and related services. Work is assigned through individual contract task orders with detailed scope, deliverables, schedules, and costs. All subconsultants must be pre-approved; substitutions require written County approval. Compensation is time and materials based on hourly rates by employee classification, with no price increases permitted during the contract term. Reimbursable expenses include pre-approved travel, equipment rental or purchase, and printing, subject to prior written approval.

The County will evaluate responses using a weighted panel scoring system: qualifications and experience (40%), key personnel and staffing (17.5%), availability to perform services (25%), SOQ organization and completeness (15%), and compliance with the County Model Contract (2.5%). The Statement of Qualifications is limited to 25 single-sided pages. Pricing information is requested during subsequent negotiations, not in the initial submission. No guarantee of work volume is expressed or implied. Prevailing wage compliance under California Labor Code sections 1770 et seq. applies to qualifying public works tasks. Insurance requirements include general liability, auto liability, workers' compensation, professional liability, and pollution liability, all with the County named as additional insured.